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Elves (Race)
The ancient people of the Elves are believed to be among the first created by the gods, and yet despite other races' admiration and awe of the elven people, they remain an enigma for many. With a strong affinity for magic and a deep, spiritual connection to the natural world around them, elves are master artists, skilled craftsman and are just as graceful in the arts of war as they are in dance and horsemanship. The paradoxical nature of the elven people causes many to call them haughty or arrogant, but in truth their longevity has opened there eyes to both the beauty and the horrors of the world, and they have gained the wisdom to both combat the darkness and preserve the light. Ethnicities Elves divide themselves into a number of different ethnicities. Remember that there is very little, if any, physical differences between them; these ethnicities are almost societies. 'High Elves' The High Elves, or the Noldori, are the Elves of Evereska; in Elven culture, if you can trace your heritage back to the elves of Kyonin, then you can call yourself a High Elf. They tend to live in more traditional cities and are considered among the best wizards in the world. 'Wood Elves' The Wood Elves, or the Sindari, are semi-nomadic hunters who live in tribes in forests throughout Borczeg. Even when they do settle an area, their cities perfectly fit in with the natural landscape. Wood Elves are known for their connection to animals and to nature, and for being exceptional archers and trackers. Wood Elves have a tradition of tattooing themselves, often their faces, with intricate markings after they experience their Brightening. 'Grey Elves' The Grey Elves, or Teleri, are the elves who settled on the slops and canyons of the Five Kings Mountains. The Grey Elves are seen as a hardy people, known for being exceptional axe fighters and climbers. They are exceptional masons. Their cities most resemble human cities; while beautiful and artistic, their structures tend to be more utilitarian in purpose. They dress in thick, sturdy clothes and often trade with Dwarves; they are the only elf ethnicity who are on good terms with the Dwarven people. 'Sand Elves' The Sand Elves are a group of nomadic elves hailing from the Calim Desert. Unlike their woodland cousins, the Sand Elves are often aggressive and often make a living as bandits, mercenaries and thieves. 'Ash Elves' Also called "Moon Elves", these comprise Elves who never left Nidal. They are an enigmatic and frightful lot, who dress in ancient robes and wear wooden masks. Physical Attributes Short and willowy compared to humans, elves move and think quickly, though not impetuously. Elves are recognizable by their considerable physical beauty, grace, stylish dress, pointed ears and large, colorful eyes. Elves are typically fair-skinned with eyes colored blue, green, gold or violet. Brown eyes are rare, but not impossible. Their hair, which they almost always wear long and often in braids, can range any color from yellow, to brown, to black, to red; any color of the autumn leaves. Also possible are silver hair and green hair, thought the latter two are exceptionally rare and those born with silver or green hair are taken special note of. However formidable they might be with their speed and elven magic, they are relatively frail compared to humans and suffer more readily from poisons and punishing blows. 'Senses' Larger pupils allow much more light into elves' eyes, giving them sharper vision. They tend to notice irregularities of pattern as well, a trait which manifests among adventurers as an exceptional ability to spot concealed doors. Some believe this to be a part of elven witchery--but even elves admit it's just a byproduct of their natural attentiveness. Elven eyesight is also keen in low-light conditions. As a result, though their homes are frequently bright and airy during the day, with large windows that are rarely shuttered, elves hardly bother to light their structures in the evenings, making do with candles or, preferably, a few friendly fireflies. Hospitable elves will often brighten an area or a room suitably if they expect non-elf visitors , but inhospitable elves won't. A few human diplomats have learned to use light levels to gauge the true feelings of an otherwise polite elven host. Some say an elf can tell a tree's type from the sound of a leaf falling. Fine elven hearing is thought to be a function of their ears' shape. The long, pointed auricles funnel sound into ear canals, allowing them just a little more warning than their human counterparts when trouble in afoot. Elven hearing is so accurate that they can shoot targets in the dark from just their breathing. 'Diet' Elves diets vary a bit depending by region, particularly among the High Elves and the Wood Elves (see Culture, below). Among the High Elves, cooking is considered an art, and just as in every other artistic pursuit, the elves have extensively studied and practiced this art until they have mastered it completely. High Elven chefs reject complexity, preferring a minimalistic approach that utilizes beauty in its simplicity. Cooking times for most meat, fish and vegetables is very short, compared to that of other races, in order to preserve the natural flavor and texture of the dish. They do not use the strong marinades of the humans or halfling lands, nor do they subject their food to strong sauces like the Dwarves. Instead, they season their dishes with fresh herbs, quality butter, lemon juice and vinegar. They do not often use salt. Traditional High Elf cuisine utilizes leafy, green vegetables and fruits, in addition to soft, sweet cheeses. High Elf meals tend to favor pheasant and other cooked birds instead of the livestock used by other races; they consider beef, mutton and pork too coarse for their tongues. The birds are always hunted, instead of farmed, to better bring out that natural, gamey flavor. Soups are also a particular favorite of the elves, always delicate and perfectly seasoned with local spices. High Elven meals are traditionally served in a "Course" structure: one dish is brought out, then another, and so on. This structure is typically in three courses, starting with hors d'œuvre or entrée (the introductory course, something light, often soup), plat principal (the main course), fromage (cheese course) and/or dessert, sometimes with a salad offered before the cheese or dessert. Salads are usually served with a light vinaigrette. High Elves are also famous for their fluffy, sweet Lembas bread, which is known to be highly nourishing; a single piece can feed a man for a whole day. While capable of eating anything other elves can, Wood Elves prefer to eat a variety of grains, fruit, nuts, fish and wild meat. Many elves dislike the taste of domesticated livestock and Wood Elves prefer to hunt their own meat. Wood Elven cooking accentuates the gamy taste of meat, and those of other races who partake of traditional wood elf meat dishes often complain that the food seems on the edge of spoiling. Fruits and vegetables are usually stewed raw but with exotic spices and sauces to enliven the taste, favoring tangy flavors. Wood Elven bread is usually flat but nourishing. Elves of all cultures have a deep love of wine and many elf communities sport a vineyard, especially High Elf villages. Elf wine is a rare thing and many noble houses in human lands will pay a small ransom for even a bottle of sweet elven wines. Elves tend to dislike the bitter taste of beer and ales, and most tend to forego hard liquor altogether in favor of the softer, more subtle tastes of wines and occasionally mead. That's not to say that Elves don't ever drink these beverages, just that they tend not to agree with the elven palate. 'Dress' High Elves dress in simple, comfortable clothing, though their garb always has an elegance in keeping with their graceful bearing. Linen, silk, cotton and wool are common fabrics for elven clothing, and elves have developed the skill to spin even the coarsest of natural fibers into incredibly fine thread that can be tightly woven to create soft cloth of surprising strength. Leathers and furs are rarely used. Spider silk, certain mosses and fibers of flower stalk are often spun into cloth. Their legendary cloaks are created from Thistledown treated with magic, though this is a lengthy and difficult process. Occasionally, different fibers are woven together to create tactile interest or to combine the characteristics of different materials for practical reasons. Colors and styles of clothing vary with individual taste. Many elves prefer muted tones that help them to blend in with the surrounding forests; other enjoys wearing bright colors ranging in shade from pastels to jewel tones. Dyes are drawn from a variety of sources, most of them plant-based. Multihued garments are also reasonably common, though the patterns they make are rarely geometric. Elves prefer irregular swatches of coloration that imitate the sun-dappled forest floor or wind-tossed clouds on a windy day. Most common colors are brown, green and blue. Elves see adornment and elegance of style as marks of a highly civilized society as well as declarations of individuality. A tunic, cloak or pair of trousers may be adorned with embroidery, encrusted with tiny gems or decorated with bits of polished wood. Alternatively, an item of clothing may be cut or pieced together in some dramatic way. Embroidery can range from a border done in contrasting thread to a fantastic design prominently displayed on a sleeve or bodice. Natural colors (ranging from muted earth tones, to the bright colors of the sun, to the sea or brilliant flowers) are commonly used for adornments. Leaf and flower motifs are common, as well. Fastenings made of metal are rare. Base metals are almost never used in elven clothing, though precious metals may serve as adornment. Usually, elven clothing is fastened with hooks or buttons made of polished wood, carved bone or ivory fasteners or leather thongs. Footwear consists of boots made of supple leather or thistledown fabric, while more delicate footwear is sometimes used for everyday or ceremonial purposes. Shoes carved in fantastic design from crystal or other precious substances are sometimes used by elf nobles during affairs of state. Almost all elves wear jewelry of some kind. The materials may or may not be of exceptional value, but they are always worked to enhance their beauty rather than left rustic and natural. Circlets are extremely popular, and necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, armbands and anklets are also very common. Designs are invariably light and airy, graceful in design, and many reflect nature in some stylized way. Gold or silver pendants shaped like flowers or birds are common, as are silver circlets whose lines are incorporated into jewelry designs, usually in a manner that seamlessly integrates them into the piece. Huge, barely polished gemstones crudely plunked into hammered gold settings are for humans or dwarves; elves prefer lightness, delicacy and artistry in their jewelry. Typical garb for a member of either sex consists of a tunic and trousers covered by a cloak or parka. The tunic is usually made of light, tightly woven material such as fine linen, silk or cotton and the trousers are made of wool spun fine and closely woven. Cloaks are made of sturdy cloth because they serve a variety of purposes. An elf may wear one for warmth, wrap himself in it for resting or spread it on the ground to sit on. Cloaks for travel are usually green, brown or some combination of those shades to blend in with the forest, while cloaks worn by nobles within the safety of an elf city may brilliantly colored and elegantly decorated. Cloaks are sometimes edged in fur or feathers, though this is rare. Elegantly cut robes and long dresses are favored by elves attending ceremonies, and such garb lends itself well to unusual styles and colors as well as adornment. It is often cut to reveal chest, legs or midriff. Wood Elves also tend to dress simply, with dark, earth tones. They typically wear no shirts, instead showcasing elaborate body paint and tattoos that cover their torsos, neck and face. These tattoos are ancient, holy symbols and writing and to bear a tattoo is a huge statement among the Wood Elves, a claim that you are using an aspect of those symbols in your life. Wood elves also tend to get piercings in their lips and multiple piercings in their ears. They also wear elaborate hair decoration, usually made of precious metals, polished wood or bone. Necklaces of wood or bone are also common. They rarely wear shoes. Wood Elves often wear dark trousers in dark, earthy colors and furs and leathers are commonly used in their clothes. Elves clothe themselves appropriately for the climate, so they rarely need to adopt the clothing of other races unless they are visiting climates entirely foreign to them, which is extremely rare. 'Longevity' Elves do not suffer the ravages of age the way other races do. Though it's still possible to read their relative ages in their faces, with the most ancient elves possessing a more handsome, ethereal look than the girlish appeal of an elf in her low hundreds, all remain unquestionably beautiful. The full measure of an elven lifespan can last hundreds--often more than a thousand--years. Of course, elves can and do expire from mortal wounds. Their extended lifespan allows elves to take the long-view in nearly every endeavor; their lifespan causes elves to spend a great deal of time observing. Elves rarely hurry, preferring to take the time to contemplate an action and its potential consequences before committing to it. Though other races often argue that elves allow opportunities to pass them by, the elves know that opportunities nearly always come again, given enough time, and that opportunities seized without forethought often turn out to be mistakes. Taking the long view means that elves, though generally pleasant to others, take a long time to make friends or enemies, and they remember both favors and slights for centuries. Trusting others comes hard to the self-sufficient elves, and trusting individuals of other races is particularly difficult because they know that the shorter lifespans of other races give them a much more limited viewpoint and make them prone to hasty actions. They have a proverb for this: "You can make amends for waiting too long, but you can never wait longer once you've acted". This stance sometimes seems at odds with apparently reckless behavior on their part, yet elves' apparent disregard for consequences is on occasion another sign of long life. Creatures who have seen much draw from deep wells of personal experience. What looks like a half-cocked leap off a cliff is actually behavior informed by a dozen other cliffside experiences. In less dramatic circumstances, elves also tend to fret less about short-term consequences. A 5-year setback is more nuisance than crushing defeat to an elf. Centuries of life leads elves to ignore small details. "Small" to an elf might be large for a human, but the elves dismiss complaints as products of short-term thinking. They also take few things seriously, as even the direst circumstances change in time. Though some might see them as somber and stoic, this is more an issue of differing senses of humor, and elves laugh often among themselves at jokes shorter-lived persons wouldn't have the perspective to understand. Long life has a dark side, however, and many elves succumb to vanity and pride, though more at a racial level than an individual one. An elf who tries hard enough can become an expert at anything merely by dint of living long enough, so some elves begin to believe that they can master anything, making those races who cannot naturally inferior. The elve's lifespan is also responsible for their generally pleasant nature. Even though they are slow to form true friendships, they find it prudent to behave pleasantly toward others, because they know that grudges can last for centuries. Thus, unpleasantness avoided is an enemy not made. This part of their nature combined with their almost supernatural beauty tends to endear them to members of other races, most of whom find elves pleasant and amusing companions, if a bit aloof, alien and overly meticulous. Elves live such a long time that non-elves rightly wonder why they aren't all expert swordsmen, powerful enchantresses, master thieves, mighty archpriests or all of them at once. One answer is that elves measure success differently from other races. Crushing enemies and amassing vast quantities of wealth are not worthwhile goals in themselves for most elves, just occasional necessities; distractions from the more important paths of honor, art, craftsmanship, magic and seeking enlightenment . Those elves who interact most with humans are already outliers within their society and as a result are more susceptible to the "transient" races' desperate urge to leave a mark on the world. After all, what does an elf have to leave his mark when he knows he'll remain long after monuments have crumbled to dust? 'Sleep' Though elves are immune to magical sleep effects, the idea that they never sleep is a myth. Instead, elves do indeed get a full-night's sleep like other races, but it is different than other races. First, elves require only four hours of rest to be fully rested. Second, they are incredibly light sleepers and they are always aware of their surroundings while asleep. Some mischievous elves like to perpetuate the belief that elves do not sleep and are always awake, and that elven towns have no beds, which is of course ridiculous. 'Elven Magic' Though gnomes may have an innate knack for parlor tricks, no race in Borczeg takes so well and so thoroughly to the study of magic as elves. Elf spellcasters spend decades mastering basic arcane teachings before moving on to anything showy. This focus on theory makes elven magic almost overwhelmingly detailed and complex. Even creatures who are naturally resistant to magic have trouble with an elves' output. The deep study also expands an elf's knowledge of magical properties. The most accomplished elf wizard are said to be able to determine the presence of magic auras on items without even looking. Elves' famed resistance to enchantments, on the other hand, stems not from magical study but from their elemental love of freedom. Elves kept in slavery often rebel or force themselves into a stupor until they are eventually abandoned, or else succumb to despair. In elven society, enchantments are frank insults, suggesting the target is weak and easily manipulated. Elves generally only use enchantments on enemies or those who have been utterly dishonored, likening it to spitting in someone's eye. One of the gravest elven insults on another elf is to cast a Sleep spell--an intentionally weak, blatantly ineffective attempt to control another's freedom that impugns an elf's very "elfishness". It is is a sign the caster feels nothing but utter contempt for the target and centuries-long feuds have erupted because of it. 'Emotions' Mercurial and detached, somber and bemused, the famed elven aloofishness occurs for many reasons. Long life generally forces them to distance themselves from non-elves--those who maintain too close a relationship with members of the transient races quickly become burdened with the deep melancholy of the Forlorn (elves cast out of elf society). Still, once elves reach a level of comfort with a person, they drop their guarded demeanor and become friendly. Elves value friendship highly, and they stick by their friends with a loyalty sometimes exceeding the familial bonds of other races. Elven emotional extremes are a product of too many memories and associations. A rainstorm can remind an elf of a hundred good and bad experiences, a mix so complex that not even elves can predict what emotion will take the forefront, a beautiful thought to them. This is perhaps the deepest reason for the elves' frequent laughter among others of their kind: it is a concerted effort to think positively despite any negative emotion filtering up from the deep wells of recollection. With thousands of memories jostling for primacy at every trigger, elves tend to focus on the good ones and filter the bad ones from their public reaction. An elf's lifetime of sorrow and regret is literally a maddening prospect, and elves that allow themselves to dwell on past misery tend to become locked in a spiral of depression and self-doubt; often they require the intervention of other elves and sometimes even magic to steer them toward happiness again. Elven Culture Elven life is so ancient and layered that some reason for celebrating or mourning can be found any day or time of day. Rather than observe specific holy days, the elves have come to treat life and a continual celebration and wake for the joys and setbacks that flavor even their near-immortal existence. Elves live in wild places, and though supremely cultured, they also cultivate wilderness in their art and mannerisms. They strive to harmonize with regional life and growth. Local plants are used for food, medicine, dyes and magic components and their garments frequently blend with the surrounding flora. 'The You and the We' Elves revel in a dual nature. Their love of paradox makes them seem mysterious to other races, but elves do not see themselves as mysterious or exotic. It is the world of people who want things to be done one way or another that puzzles them. The main paradox elves embrace is an idea they call "The You and the We". Outsiders must understand it before they can truly know the elven mind. Young elves learn it in the cradle. It tells them that they must balance their own identity with their obligations to the community. An elf's duty to themselves is to always strive to explore their own identity, to pursue experience, and to delve into the depths of their own soul. His obligation to community is to live in partnership with others and to support their quests for inner knowledge. These two things are not contradictory. Without a community to clothe, feed and comfort her, an elf can't enjoy the physical security they need to pursue her own inner quest. Without knowledge of her own inner spirit, the elf has nothing to contribute to her community. To master the principle of "The You and the We", an elf must make herself truly individualistic, but without a trace of selfishness. Birth & Childhood The twin principles of individuality and unselfishness ring through every significant event in an elf's life, starting with his birth. Elves, who always strive for harmony with nature's pattern, celebrate birth as the beginning of a new cycle of life. No event is holier than the birth of a child. Elven mothers do everything they can to deliver their babies in the community they themselves were born in. This custom of returning breathes new life into a community, reconnecting it to the forces of renewal that keep the world turning. A mother who was herself born away from an elven community will return, if possible, to the village where she was raised, or failing that, to the birthplace of one of her parents. In emergencies, any community will do (elven communities are preferred). Where none is available, birth in the wilderness is accepted as a viable alternative. Elves born outside in this way often have a stronger affinity for nature than others, and they can hear the whispers of the rocks and the trees. Many elves born in the wilderness become rangers or druids. Elves remain fertile from around the time of their coming of age (approximately 110 years old) until about their 550th birthday, give or take a decade or two. The elven fetus gestates for approximately twelve lunar cycles. During pregnancy, the mother develops a bond with the developing child; at around six months, the child's budding consciousness reveals itself to its mother. Over the coming cycles, the mother gradually begins to sense what kind of person her child will become. She selects a name for the growing baby, which is recognizes and accepts. The name is kept secret until the moment of the child's birth. The birthing experience serves as the climax of a great communal celebration. Every member of the community encircles the mother-to-be, joyously singing the ancient chants handed down to them by their goddess. Both women and men, young and old, attend the ceremony and witness the miracle of being. They behold it with neither shame nor revulsion. Elves recoil at the suggestion that birth is somehow unclean, or that they should be kept hidden from the world. Elven births are easier on their mothers than those of other races; they suffer little pain. The exception is if the baby is half-elven: the nine-month pregnancy, absence of a pregnancy bond and complicated births can be agonizing for mother and are often dangerous. Elven birth mortality is next to negligent, while half-elven mortality rates are nearly 50%. Elves almost always retain vivid memories of the moment just after they emerge into the world, when they are held up for the community to see. They remember the special song their new neighbors sing for them (often one of the father's unique composition) and they will remember the melody for their entire existence. An elf's memories of childhood (the next fifty or so years) are rarely so clear. Childhood is a time of play and exploration, all carried out under the watchful eyes of the community's adults, who are keenly aware of the hazards lurking in even the most tranquil natural setting. Although elves value direct experience over second-hand learning, there are certain things that can only be taught. Children learn to look for danger before exploring, to recite the names of the thousand woodland spirits around their home, and to imitate their elders in the making of crafts, clothing and hunting implements. Although the child learns to recognize and accompany his mother and father, other family distinctions are unimportant (except perhaps siblings). Children, already in pursuit of their individuality, are allowed to form bonds with those adults to whom they feel the most attuned. Every member of a community swears, during the birthing ceremony, to lend the best of his or her knowledge and spirit to the new child. If an elf grows up to be dull, selfish or unamusing, the entire community has failed. If a child succumbs to the dangers of the world around it, the entire community share in the tragedy of a life taken before its time. Although there are some slight differences between the outlook of elven men and women (see Nonspecialized Communities, below), these are tendencies, not enforced rules to which children are expected to adhere. A child is neither pressed into learning a family trade or adopting its artistic traditions. In elven culture, lines are meant to be blurred, and distinctions are but a thing of temporary convenience and of little real importance. 'Coming of Age' The life monument known as "coming of age" is different for an elf than it is for other races. There is no "set age" when an elf comes of age, as this term does not measure physical maturity for elves, but spiritual. To be considered an adult, an elf must have experienced The Brightness (see Religion, below). This typically occurs between the ages of 100-120, so the average age of 110 is general accepted as the age of adulthood, though this is not the case in every case. In the rare case that the elf did not experience The Brightness, they are considered adults by age 130. 'Art and Music' Unlike dwarves, elves value art for its own sake. An object of art need not be anything but beautiful to be prized in an elf community. The elves also find joy in turning mundane objects into things of beauty. Strictly utilitarian objects are fine in an emergency, but why not make them beautiful as well? To create a functional object with no beauty is considered unforgivably lazy and wasteful to both time and resources. The visual arts are highly valued in elven society, and examples abound in every household. Elaborate, detailed paintings; stunning, perfectly modeled statues and sculptures; textiles, fashion designs, metalwork, weaponsmithing, armorsmithing, jewelry making, pottery and all manner of crafts are considered forms of self-expression with which every elf should be proficient. Translating one's feelings into an enduring object of beauty is considered a high achievement in elven culture. Architecture is among the most valued of the elven arts, and designing structures of grace and style that is one with nature is a dream to which many young elves aspire. In most cases, the loveliest elven "buildings" are the ones that blend seamlessly into nature: houses built in branches, crystal-carved caverns, and flower-festooned arbors in the wilderness. Ornamentation on such buildings is generally simple yet elegant, and done in a manner that enhances rather than overwhelms the basic lines of the structure. Music is also a well-loved form of artistic expression, and elf bards have refined their art to a high level. Elven music can be lilting and cheerful, sorrowful and deep or any style in between. Elves make more use of flutes, lutes, harps and exotic stringed instruments than most other cultures, and less use of loud horns or percussion instruments (although the certainly have their place). Their choices of instruments and composition style combine to produce the delicate melodies for which they are justly famous. Drama is recognized and appreciated as an art form in elf communities, and most settlements hold plays throughout the year. Many elves enjoy acting and become quite proficient at it, and this skill stands them in good stead when they must conduct delicate negotiations with other races. The elves have raised one form of expression, the written word, to a high level than most other races. A few other races have oral traditions almost as rich as those of the elves, but Correlon's folk have made a true art of writing. Their flowering script and lyrical language frame poetry and prose on inestimable beauty, filled with a depth of emotion rarely seen in shorter-lived races. The elves live long and see much, but rather than hardening them, their experiences serve to enrich their souls. Only though writing does their depth of feeling become truly obvious; they tend to take care what they say aloud, particularly among outsiders. Most elves keep personal journals in which they record their daily activities. Writing in a journal is an almost ritualistic activity--a time for reflection during which an elf tries to find meaning in the events of the day and couch them in just the right words to convey the information as if the reader had been present. Verse is sometimes used in journals, but lyrical prose is preferred by many. Journals of elves who have passed away are passed down to other family members as prized heirlooms, and living elves often trade journals to keep up with one another's lives or to gain insight into techniques for crafting items they have not previously made. Nearly every form of art and craft is represented in elf culture. Spontaneous gatherings of musicians or artists in common in elf communities, and a few of these occasions have evolved into annual events. Visitors saunter through the area in which the artists have gathered and comment, visit and generally appreciate the art being shown or performed. Some gatherings require the art objects be created on the spot, by either individual artists or troupes. Sculptors, painters and architects often take part in such events, as do crafters of various kinds. The items created are usually donated to the community at large or presented as gifts to family, friends or nobility. The only prizes given at elven art gatherings are acclaim and special ribbons made of twined willow branches, but the unofficial benefits of winning such prizes is immense. The elf whose work has been recognized in this way is welcomed in all elf communities throughout the region. 'Love and Marriage' Other races generally consider the sexual freedom of elves shocking, fickle and endlessly fascinating. The folk tales and rumors they repeat are much more scandalous and colorful than anything that actually occurs. To an elf, sexual expression is just one item on a long list of experiences that everyone should explore in the course of forging an identity. Experimentation with a range of partners is no more or less odd than tasting the juice of a dozen different berries, following the path of plume-seeds as winds carry them through the trees or learning the secret names of the forest's animals. Still, a young elf's exploration of love and lust should be as complete as any other quest he or she embarks upon. Elves hold no double standards in their games of coupling and uncoupling. Males and females are both encouraged to fully express their physical yearnings. Young females can blithely pursue their infatuations because the extremely low fertility rate makes the possibility of pregnancy highly unlikely. Children born out of wedlock, though rare, face no special prejudice in an elven community. Young elves seem fickle to other races because they are able to move from one partner to the next without suffering the pangs of separation or unrequited love. Casual liaisons are a common and accept part of social interaction. An elf might have partnered with a large number of contemporaries in her community and feels no lingering shame or awkwardness in their presence. They might fondly recall the joys of an old rendezvous, but give it no more weight than they would the recollections of a delightful shared meal or a satisfying day of tree climbing. While elves carry on their sexual experimentation well into adulthood, eventually, each discovers that his heart has developed a capacity for lasting and exclusive love. Like most other important things in their life, elves describe this in mystical terms. They believe that a person's spiritual progress is unknowingly intertwined with that of another. This soul-mate is called a Thiramin. Upon meeting his thiramin, an elf's heart fills with passion and certainty. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred the other party is felled by the same feelings of immediate and eternal devotion. Though rare, an unrequited thiramin is always disastrous, bringing centuries of unending, wrenching heartbreak. Sufferers often commit suicide or succumb to the temptations of evil. Elves commonly feel thiramin for someone they meet for the first time: in other words, visitors from other communities, or while entertaining visitors from other communities. Intermarriage between communities strengthens bonds of communication between settlements, allowing them to quickly band together for mutual benefit. It is not uncommon, though, elves to form thiramin with another they have known since childhood; to suddenly look upon one they have known for centuries in a new way, as if for the first time. When this happens, it if often the case that the two have previously treated each other as bitter rivals. The certainty of thiramin is never allowed to interfere with the experience of a long and protracted courtship. Where adolescents will hop into bed with one another on the slightest provocation, a couple swayed by thiramin might heighten their moment of ecstasy by months or even years. Courtships of a decade or longer are not unheard of. Although exceedingly rare to the point of being nearly unheard of, the condition of thiramin can sometimes vanish as quickly as it came. Again, the sudden feeling of disconnection is almost always mutual. The end of thiramin can almost never be traced to a specific cause. Instead, it is seen as an indication that the partners' spiritual paths have diverged, and that Correlon Larethian's divine plans for them call for their parting. The evaporation of love is accepted with mournful resignation. The couple quietly breaks up the household, relying on community leaders to spread the sad news. One partner usually leaves the community in search of his or hew new destiny, while the other remains behind. An elf doesn't usually feel bitterness or hatred toward their ex-partner, but they will always feel melencholy, and will always experience a sense of pain and loss in their presence. Elven marriage ceremonies are stately and beautiful, often lasting for weeks. Poetry recitations, musical performances and theatrical events all retell the great love stories in elven lore. Non-elves find the protracted dignity of these occasions unbearable. The wild debauchery that begins after the husband and wife have retired to the nuptial bed might surprise them. Though they prefer to stay close together, married couples are capable of spending long periods of time apart. The feeling of connection that they share makes a missing partner feel close at hand, even when she is far away. A spouse can always sense when their thiramin is dead and this follows with great mourning that can last for decades. 'Religion' Religion is a deeply personal aspect of an elf's life. All elves hear the legends of the gods when they are young, and all are exposed to clerics and rituals from an early age. What these traditions mean to an individual elf varies with his own experiences and mind-set. Organized religious services occur only on holidays and for special events, such as weddings or funerals. Most individuals go to tempes whenever the mood strikes them, which may be more or less frequent depending the individual. Most temples offer little in the way of education, except in the tenets of a particular region and of nature, since elves can gain the important education from community members. Offerings to the church are voluntary, but most temples and shrines have an embarrassment of riches in the form of services and artwork donations from grateful members of the community. Indeed, many elf artisans look upon creating a work to decorate a temple as the pinnacle of their endeavors. Clerics of each temple are present for all major festival days in an elf community. Although their blessings are part of the ceremonies, these acts are recognized as the cleric's personal contributions more than religious necessities. Elven weddings usually include a cleric of Correlon Larethian to dispose of the remains of the party with a Dust to Dust spell and to comfort the mourners at a funeral with assurances that the departed have gone to join Correlon in Paradise. Both pleasure and responsibility are less important than the young elf's spiritual progress. Elves do not draw a line between the everyday world and the realms of the gods and spirits. The spiritual touch of Correlon Larethian can be found in any place where elves live in harmony with nature. An elf does not simply listen to a priest tell him about his goddess; he goes into the wilderness to feel his goddess's breath on his skin, and to hear the words of wisdom whispered into his ears. Young elves are encouraged to spend hours in solitude out in the wild until they encounter Larethian's spirit. The moment of epiphany when an elf's senses are opened up and his entire being is flooded with awareness of the divine--known as The Brightness--is the pivotal moment in any elf's life. He dos not describe it to anyone, even to his closest love or his own children, except in the vaguest terms. it is hard, then, to reliably say much about this instant of supreme mystery. Each elf seems to experience it differently. Despite the imaginings of certain non-elven scholars and artists, who picture the event as a grand vision of a glowing avatar of Correlon Larethian appearing to the quester, the moment is a profoundly subtle one. The elf might come to know the goddess by seeing an especially sublime pattern traced in the veins of a crumbling leaf, or in the knowledge of imminent power during a thunderstorm, or perhaps the touch of a white stag by a pool of still water. An elf spends her years of beryn fin (adolescence) in spiritual preparation for this moment, receiving tantalizing hints and premonitions of its true significance. It usually occurs during an elf's one-hundredth year. Some elves, especially those who births were accompanied with auspicious signs and portents--such as those born with green or silver hair, or in the wilderness--might experience The Brightness as soon as seventy or seventy-five. These individuals often go on to become great priests or priestesses, or mighty heroes. A few unlucky souls never find that the Brightness eludes them, usually because they're trying too hard to force the moment to occur. Most, after priestly counseling, experience the moment of the Brightness no more than a decade or two late. A rare few never taste it. Growing bitter and frustrated with the loving pity they receive from their neighbors, the Malawain, or "unawakened", often choose self-exile, leaving the world of the elves to settle in foreign cities or wander as rootless adventurers. Malawain rarely admit their status, even to those who couldn't care less about elven spiritual development (see: Dwarves). When an elf experiences the Brightness, she is transformed. She declared herself an adult, marking her newfound individuality by selecting a new name for herself. She has become an equal of any adult in the community. 'Death & Dying' Beginning around an elf's sixth century, her blood begins to slow, her thoughts start to cloud and her bones grow tired. Elves train themselves all their lives to accept death as an inevitable and integral part of life's cycle. Even so, they usually find it hard to adjust to the dimming of their senses, which makes it harder for them to experience pleasure. An elf's declining years, known as their Journey into Winter, are often melancholy ones. She might spend them composing her memoirs in epic verse, hoping that her descendants will memorize and repeat them for generations to come. She might retreat to a hermitage or isolated cave to contemplate the nature of existence. A very few misguided souls turn to blackest sorcery to extend their lives. But most surround themselves with their fellow villages and loved ones, trying to impart the wisdom they've gained and take heart in the laughter of children. There are few visible signs of aging in an elf's face, outside of a kind of alien majesty. Their hair almost always turns snow white, and their eyes dull to a fine silver color. Other than that, they appear as they have throughout their lives. Burial customs vary. In High Elven communities, bodies are entombed in extensive, elaborate and serene mortuaries. The elf's life is always depicted on the walls and doors of such tombs, with art they crafted or that have crafted in their honor, are buried with them. Husband and Wife do not have separate tombs: instead, they are interred together, side-by-side in the same coffin, often in matching attire, buried with flowers that somehow never wither. For the Wood Elves, they typically bury the dead without coffins or other coverings to nourish the land, repaying it for a lifetime of bounty. Where the ground is hard, they are cremated and their ashes sent to the winds for one final, unpredictable journey. Most elves hold that after death, their spirits go to dwell in a verdant paradise known as Elysium with Correlon Larethian and her kin, becoming an angel in her service. 'Honor' Elven honor has little to do with battle, property rights or even personal morality and everything to do with friendship. Honor to an elf is keeping their word, delivering on all bargains, providing for family and friends and seeking and following divine guidance. Making and maintaining friendships are paramount to elven honor, and they go about selecting friends carefully, perhaps pleasantly associating with another individual for decades before naming that person "friend". Wronging a friend for any reason is dishonorable. In the freedom-loving elven world, forcing one's will on a friend is dishonorable. Just as it would be an ineffective and insulting act to cast an enchantment spell on another elf, no elf would attempt to enforce behavior by telling a friend what to do or how to live. They often skirt around this issue neatly by answering what they would do in a situation, or what others have done in the past. Non-elves sometimes accuse elves of hypocrisy, because these two tenets can be seen to clash--wouldn't it be wrong to let a friend walk off of a cliff when an elf could intervene? This can be a path for an elf. An elf's concern can seem like offhanded comments to the non-elf mind. A phrase such as "If you wait and reconsider, you might see a different viewpoint" is about the strongest argument or word of advice most elves give to friends without being asked. Fortunately, the simple presentation of information is not bound by codes of honor, and an elf who would never think of advising might happily present enough information--and in such an obviously negative light--that the recipient would immediately rethink his actions. In general, when an elf speaks, the short-lived races do well to listen. 'Fueds' Though they can be hot tempered at times, it's hard to get an elf murderously angry, and their sparse population on Borczeg engenders some racial solidarity. That doesn't mean elves all get along, however. When elves fight among their own kind, the conflicts are generally small-scale and personal. In many cases, this develops into a form of fued called ilduliel, which translates roughly as "nemesis". A feud begins when one elf perceives an insult, whether intended or not, and informs the other that he has taken offense. An ilduliel seeks to deny his fued partner whatever he or she most desires and claim it instead. Thus, ilduliel learn each other and their desires well and spend time in each other's lives, plotting vexation at every step. it is vital that a foe know that the ilduliel has achieved his or her object of desire, so identifying symbols or marks are left at the scene of the defeat to let everyone, especially the foe, know of the loss. On average, a fued is relatively brief and are somewhat petty and small: blood is spilled quickly and is forgotten quickly--but if an ilduliel can ruin his enemy's romantic relationships, trick him into acting dishonorably, or achieve the other's greatest goal in life, the scars are far slower to heal. Elven fueds rarely last more than a few decades, as time erodes even an elf's desire for vengeance. In rare cases, a fued ends with the two ilduliel becoming friends or even thiramil; spending several years or decades getting to know each other intimately can foster a sense of kinship. 'The Elves at War' Elves of all walks of life consider war a last resort for resolving disputes. Though they are by no means cowardly, they know they can expect to live for hundreds of years and they are loath to risk their lives over petty issues. Since virtually all elves can agree on this point, they never go to war with themselves. Not all sentient beings share the elves' live and let live credo, however. Tribes of orcs, renegade dwarves and even imperialistic humans have long coveted the elves' lands and resources and many have tried to seize hold of them by force. Thus, even the peace-loving elves must have adequate defenses for their settlements. All elves learn the use of the bow and the sword while still young so that they can help to defend their communities from invaders. Such training usually begins at 50 years old, the age of adolescence. Because of their general unwillingness to risk their lives unnecessarily, the elves' first line of defense is usually the longbow, allowing them to slay their foes from distance. Given the elves' legendary skill and accuracy with bows of any shape and kind, this is generally a fruitful and much-feared tactic. They often strike from trees or otherwise hidden in the natural surroundings. Elven culture does not demean the bravery of a warrior who drops enemies from afar. After all, allowing a larger and stronger foe to engage in melee combat is folly, not courage. Foes that manage to threaten an elf at melee range are usually met with a flashing longsword or thrust of a sturdy, elegant spear. Most elf settlements augment their defenses with arcane or divine magic. Alarm and Consecrate spells places throughout their homeland warn of the approach of intruders and provide soldiers the ability to fight more effectively against undead and other purely evil creatures. Elves always have wizards as an integral part of their battalions, augmenting the deadly efficiency of the archers with ranged evocations, such as fireball, cone of cold or lightning bolt. They also use ranged enchantments (such as a Mass Sleep spell), defensive measures or spells that impede movement or vision (such as Wind Wall, Entangle or Fog Cloud) or other spells that make movement and surviving difficult for a large number of enemies. Many elves go on to other, less combat-oriented professions after completing their initial weapons training and there are no professional warriors in their communities. Instead, hunters make up the bulk of a town's militia. These hunter's primary role is to gather meat and other food from the wilderness for the community, but they also serve as scouts who patrol the wilds around their homelands in search of trouble. In times of war, all members of a community, regardless of gender, age or profession to take up arms and fight. They make surprisingly skilled units. 'Architecture and Furnishings' Elven architecture is a blend of natural themes and smooth, elegant, sinuous, graceful lines that seem strangely alien to other races. Elves tend to live in the many forests of Borczeg, their structures weaving around the existing trees as if they had grown there. On rare occasions when elves decide to construct a true city (as is the case with the High Elves of Evereska), it is a bright and shining affair, with shimmering opalescent towers and strange, looping avenues, all constructed to compliment the surrounding landscape. 'Nonspecialized Communities' Elf communities are far less structured than the settlements of more lawful creatures. Though they tend to be loose aggregates of individuals rather than orderly clan holdings, their residents still share common goals and work together when needed. Traditions are guidelines, not rules, and new ideas that offer better methods of managing group life are always welcomed. Unlike the communities of almost any other humanoid race, elves are for the most part nonspecialized. That is, no one pursues a profession to the exclusion of all others. There is no butcher, no baker, no weaponsmith and no armorer. Rather, every citizen finds or makes what he needs on his own. Every elf learns how to cook a passable meal, how to make serviceable clothing and weapons, how to gather food from the forest, how to care for wounds and how to build a shelter. Should an elf fall ill or be disabled, his friends and family pitch in until he recovers. He is expected to repay that debt by performing deeds and services to those in the community who require them, but no set requirements exist. Should he fail to satisfy his debt in the eyes of the community, he can expect no aid in the future. Elves are expected to acquire the raw materials for their work on their own. However, when a particular material is in short supply, communal stores are gathered. Any elf in the community has free access to these stores and may take what they need, but they are expected to replace what they take eventually. Because of their nearly complete self-sufficiency, elves rarely need to buy anything from anyone else. Thus, there is little need for money in elf society. Most elves have a few coins that they gained in their travels just in case, but most elves can get along perfectly fine with no money at all inside his own community. To an, there is far more value in beauty than in currency. Despite the fact that anyone can take care of their own basic needs with a community, a degree of specialization does creep in simply because certain elves prefer certain activities and become better at them than other elves. For example, one elf might have a passion for designing and building homes, while another prefers to produce clothing. A natural solution is for the first elf is to build a home for the second and for the second to provide garments and linens for the first for the duration of the project. Such barter is common within any elf community and is looked upon as an elegant solution that allows every individual to pursue his or her passion. No single elf is ever expected to provide a service for the entire community, however, and no barter arrangement can occur unless both parties agree to the terms. As much as elves delight in testing boundaries and confounding definitions, even they must admit that some generalizations can be made about the roles of men and women in their society. Both men and women frequently take up professions as hunters and warriors. While all are trained in sword and bow, men tend to favor spears while females favor slender swords. Some male elves are seized by wanderlust and seek their true selves by exploring the wilderness and adventure in the wide world. Female elven fighters, on the other hand, often feel a need to stay closer to home to guard the ones they love. As a result, they often become foresters, guards or militia of their communities. The need to seek an epiphany (see the Brightness, above) overrules all else, though, and no elf hesitates to pursue any course her heart tells her to follow. Both men and women are equally as likely to play a musical instrument in elven society. However, men tend to prefer percussion or stringed instruments, while woman prefer singing or wind instruments. A mixes quartet of elven bards is said to be able to bring a god to tears, according to some legends. Both genders are equally represented among the priesthood and the ranks of spellcasters. All elves love magic and feel it in their bones like perhaps no other race. In terms of less violent crafts, many elven men enjoy woodcarving, pottery and crafts that require shaping material with their bare hands. Females, on the other hand, lean toward crafts such as weaving, painting and other crafts that require imagination and a gente touch. In general, though, elves love the feeling of bringing new shape to something that nature has created. They find great joy in turning the mundane into the magical and the normal into the brilliant, and any effort to bring art into harmony with nature is a noble one. It bears repeating, though, that elves are much less likely to follow the unwritten rules of their societies than are the member of another race . Every community boasts its share of wolfish, wandering female hunters and homebound, peaceable male weavers. Visitors to elven communities are often bewildered about the apparent lack of family life. In truth, elves love their families as much as humans or dwarves; they simply do not feel the need to spend all of their time with relatives. After all, in a life that lasts hundreds of years, there's plenty of time for family and other interets as well. Wedded elf couples usually establish a joint house, though some also maintain individual residences to which they can retreat whenever they want som distance from their spouses. Unwedded couples in thiramin sometimes establish joint homes, but they more often continue to maintain their own houses. A pregnant elf is expected to limit their activities as much as possible. Every member of the community pitches in to help the expecting mother. Children are always acknowledged by both parents and welcomed by the community in celebration. Children typically live with their parents until they experience The Brightness, at which point they become adults and move out of their parent's house to build and maintain their own home. Elven leadership differs from place to place. Wood Elves and Ash Elves tend to lead by acclimation; the oldest elves in a tribe or community tend to be the leaders among their people, while the Grey Elves have a High King. There is royalty among the High Elves, but the concept is muddied; the royal line was broken when the dragon awoke. Prophecy states that a new royal line will be established by the one who finds The Heart of Corellon, an ancient but lost relic, the precise nature of which no two scholar can agree on. Because of this, the High Elves rule by a council of Lords and Ladies, called the White Council; each of the seven members is a supreme noble in their own right, who governs from a city-state. No single member of the Council is more powerful than another. Regardless of where they live, an elf ruler is expected to host visiting officials or dignitaries from other lands, to specialize in local laws and traditions, to be knowledgable of art, history, culture and elven lore, to have fighting skills, and at least some minor magical talent. Leaders often judge disputes and lead a communal of community elders to punish criminals. 'Calendar' Elves did not keep track of time before the Treaty of Wood and Stone, as they live so long that they have no need to record most events or chronological or sequential timekeeping methods, as many elves are still around that experienced those events, even as far back as centuries ago. Regardless, when dealing with other races, they use the standard Common Reckoning. The elves do have a sort of rudimentary system of keeping time, split into four Endiens (or seasons), known as Tuileere (Spring), Laire (Summer), Yaavie (Autumn) and Hesin (Winter). Each endien contains 92 days. While all elves are familiar with these timekeeping methods, it is usually reserved for birthdays within a community and is the official time-keeping method used by the church of Correlon Larethian. 'Language' When spoken in a proper accent, Elven language is described (by the more poetically-inclined) to sound like silver sliding across a harpstring. The language itself is beautiful and melodious, and is spoken in a sing-song style when spoken properly. However, according to most purists, however, even most elves can't get it right (regional dialects are not considered "true" Elven). Any humanoid creature with vocal chords, however, can do a passable job. Elven is derived from the ancient Sylvan language, which is still spoken today by fey and elven clergy. Many elves learn the Sylvan tongue, as well. Elven shares a basic script with Sylvan, but the ancient tongue is much more complex and wordy than Elven. The grammars of each language are notably different (as many describe Elven translated directly as sounding like "caveman-barbarian" speech). 'Myths & Folklore ' The Elves are an ancient race with a great love of poetry, song and stories. Their songs and stories are too numerous to count. The following is among their favorites. 'The Fall of the Sylvani' The elves have long held that they were the first mortal race to be created, or at least the first to be awakened. In a time long ago, the elves, who were called the Sylvani, first awoke in some number in a land across the sea, in a valley that was called Everembra, created for them by the goddess Correlon Larethian. She came to them there and blessed them, her children, with immortality. The only condition for this gift was they stay within the valley and they never take the lives of another Sylvani. Two of their number were chosen by them to be their leaders--Taiken and his younger brother, Artemis. For ages untold they dwelled in peace in that perfect place, walking its meadows, climbing its trees, eating of its fruit and splashing in the rivers that ran clear as crystals. But for all of their happiness, Artemis was not content and his heart yearned to climb out of Everembra and see what lay beyond its borders. So after some time, Artemis made to leave and brought with him 1/3 of their number to venture beyond the valley. They were met by Taiken along the way, who begged them not to go and to see reason, but Artemis rebuked him and left, bringing the 1/3 with him. Correlon appeared then and with great anger cast Artemis and his followers out of the valley forevermore, never again to return. She also took away their gift of eternal life for leaving the borders. Taiken wept with bitter tears as Artemis cursed the Sylvani and Correlon, and he and his followers disappeared into the night. It was not long after this that Artemis and his kin encountered a man, cloaked and hooded on the beach at the far shore of that nameless land, who offered them the power to seek revenge on Correlon and the Sylvani and destroy the valley of Everembra. In their hatred, Artemis and his kind accepted and followed the hooded man underground, unaware that he was truly Mishtar, the Fallen. In those dark caverns, he twisted those Sylvani and tortured them until they were no longer the beautiful creatures they had once been. Now their skin was black as ebony, their hair as white as snow and their eyes were red with malice. They were now named Drow, or "Fallen" in the Sylvan tongue. The drow ventured back to the surface and one dark night, they attack the valley, setting it alight. Taiken had been warned, however, by Correlon, who saw them coming. Taiken and his kin mounted a defense and in there was a battle in the valley that night, a great and terrible fight that cost the lives of many on both sides. In the end, the Drow were driven back below the surface, though at the cost of much blood. Despite their victory, they had still violated the second tenant of Correlon's word: to not take the life of another. For this, the remaining Sylvani lost their immortality and were forced to leave Everembra forever. But the goddess took pity upon them and gave them boats and pointed them to a new land and a new home across the sea. The Sylvani boarded the ships and crossed the ocean, and after many moths there they found the land now called Borczeg, and of the first generation born in this land, they named the Sindari, or Elves in the common tongue.